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Woodworkers' First Aid You pla n to work safely. But do you have a pla n if someth ing goes wrong? BY ALAN MAR CO, M.D. Woo dough who loses a finger on a table saw, but that won't tell you anytlung you don't already know. What I want to tell you is what to do in the event of an accident: those cases when you can take care of yourself at home and those times when you need to get to the hospital. Being prepared might save an eye, a finger or a whole lot of blood. And knowing what to do immediately after an accident can help those in the emergency room put you back together. W Minor cuts and abrasions Cleanliness is a relative term. A clean woodshop is still a veritable petri dish of germs and dirt. Barring a serious laceration or amputation, you have to clean any bleeding injUlY with soap and water to ward off possible infection. Inspect your wound for foreign bodies. If it didn't grow in you, it's a foreign body: bits of wood, grit, metal. Remove them by flushing with water. For deeply imbedded grit, you may need to grit your teeth and use a scrub brush. Avoid alcohol or peroxide because botl1 may cause more tissue irritation. To kill germs, it's better to use a providone-iodine solution, available under many different brand names, such as Betadine. Soap and water works too. Apply an antibiotic ointment to the wound if desired. If bleeding persists, apply pressure to the affected site with a clean gauze pad. When the bleeding stops, cover the small cut or abrasion with a dry, sterile bandage for two to three days. Check the wound periodically for renewed bleeding or signs of infection, such as increased pain, swelling or redness. Minor swelling and redness is normal in the first day or two. Also watch for red streaks going up your arm or leg or pus drainage. If these occur, you should have the injury evaluated by your doctor. If you have a serious medical condition such as diabetes, which can interfere with healing, you may want to have the wound checked 66 FI E WOODWORKIN G oodworking is inherently dangerous. It says so right in the beginning of this magazine. It's the sort of thing everyone knows. I could begin with the StOlY of John by your doctor. Also, if your last tetanus vaccination was more than 10 years ago, get a booster shot at your next checkup. For serious injuries: Don't panic Pain is your body's way of telling you something is wrong. And, fortunately, the body's immediate reaction to pain-roughly the amount of time between flipping a light switch and the light going on-is to remove itself from the offending situation. The majority of woodworking injuries happen to the hands. The natural reaction when you've hurt your hand is to cover it with your other hand, put pressure on the wound and hold both hands to your stomach. But at some pOint, you have to look at what has happened. Of course it hurts, but jumping up and down, yelling words that used to get your mouth washed out with soap, isn't going to help. Sit down and take a few deep breaths. Sitting down is a good idea for several reasons. It will tend to make you relax, as will the deep breaths, and if looking at the injury is going to cause you to swoon or feel light-headed, you're less likely to fall down from a seated position. ow, take a look at what has happened. Lacerations-In addition to the general guidelines given above, you should assess whether a laceration needs to be seen by a doctor. If the cut is spurting blood, there is likely to be an injury to an artery, and you should be seen in the emergency room. To control bleeding, apply pressure with a clean gauze pad. Apply an ice pack to reduce bleeding and pain. If the bleeding is stopped or is minimal, inspect the wound. If the wound edges come together easily, clean the wound, and apply a bandage. If the edges are somewhat separated, try to bring them together with butterfly closures or adhesive strips. If the laceration is gaping and more than 1/4 in. deep-the edges do not come together-or if it is on your face, where scarring is less acceptable, you may need stitches. And go to a doctor if you see muscle (it looks